System for providing network information service using CID-type messages

ABSTRACT

A network-based announcement and message delivery service for providing a landline customer with information of interest such as weather, financial market data, time/temperature, sporting event results, etc. In a first embodiment, information is provided to a subscriber who simply lifts the handset of the telephone. The subscriber instead of hearing a dial tone hears the information in the form of streaming audio. In another embodiment, information is provided to the subscriber by way of information displayed on a caller-ID display and/or by way of talking caller-ID.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to telecommunications servicesand, in particular, providing audio information through the telephonesystem.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Automated and quick access to various types of data is an increasinglyimportant requirement in today's society. In particular, with theincreasing popularity of wireless telephones and pagers, consumers havegenerally instant access to a wealth of information, quite literally attheir fingertips. Furthermore, these same consumers demand ease ofaccess with a minimum of effort. As such, services that providesimplified access to a variety of information are available.

Among the best known of such information services, is the simpleconsumer dial-up line. In such a service, a caller dials a particularnumber to access a database of information pertaining to potentiallyhundreds of different topics, such as finance, sports, soap operas,health topics, etc. Typically, the database includes a front end muchlike an interactive voice response (IVR) system, wherein the caller isgreeted by a message welcoming the caller to the service. Afterproviding some brief instructions, the caller is asked to enter eitherthe number for the exact topic in which the caller is interested, or toenter a general subject number from where the caller is informed of thevarious topics under that general heading. The caller may then selectfrom one of the presented topics. After selecting the topic, theinformation system provides current information to the caller regardingthe particular information the caller is seeking. Unfortunately, thecaller is required to dial up the service each time newly updated ordifferent information is desired. Furthermore, the caller is, in manycases, required to leaf through a telephone book in an attempt to findthe number for the information the caller is seeking. Depending upon thenumber of topics offered, the listing can be extremely large andcumbersome to review.

Recently, pagers and paging service providers also have begun offeringinformation services to their subscribers. In particular, the subscriberpurchases or leases an alphanumeric pager and enters into a contractwith a service provider. The pager, in addition to performing standardpaging functions, is also able to provide various types of information,such as sports scores, stock market information and the like, dependingon the subscribers requirements. The information is provided atspecified intervals or upon a change in status of the requestedinformation, such as the score of a basketball game changing. Typically,like any other time the pager receives a message, the subscriber's pagerbeeps, vibrates or lights. The message, in the above example, instead ofbeing the telephone number and/or a message from a caller, is theinformation desired by the subscriber and provided by the serviceprovider. In certain instances, however, a person may be unwilling tocarry a pager or spend additional money in purchasing or leasing apager. In particular, if a person is interested in receiving informationonly when at home, subscribing to pager services may not be worthwhile.

Accordingly, there is a need for a system that provides an informationservice that enables a subscriber to quickly obtain desired informationwithout requiring that the subscriber memorize numbers or spendadditional money on hardware.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is pointed out with particularity in the appended claims.However, other features of the invention will become more apparent, andthe invention will be best understood by referring to the followingdetailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 shows a flow chart illustrating a method of operating a networkinformation service in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 shows a flow chart diagram illustrating operation of theinformation providing system after receiving a first predeterminedinterrupt;

FIG. 3 shows a flow chart diagram illustrating operation of theinformation providing system after receiving a second predeterminedinterrupt.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a telecommunications system inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows an event diagram depicting caller indication of the networkinformation service available from the system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 shows a flow chart diagram illustrating the operation of theoriginating service switching point (SSP) of FIG. 2 in accordance withan embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 shows a flow chart diagram illustrating a method of operation theoriginating service control point (SCP) of FIG. 2 in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows a flow chart diagram illustrating a method of operating theservice node/intelligent peripheral (SN/IP) of FIG. 2 in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9, is a block diagram illustrating a telecommunications systemhaving a caller identification (CID) unit in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a network-based announcement andmessage delivery service that provides a landline customer withup-to-date information of interest. Subscribers are able to obtaininformation such as weather, financial market data, time/temperature,sporting event results, etc. A particular advantage of such a system isthat a subscriber does not need to initiate a telephone call to obtainthe information.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, an advancedintelligent network (AIN) is configured to provide a selectively enabledinformation service for delivering information to a party who hassubscribed to the service, but without requiring the subscriber toinitiate a call. The network information service provides information toa subscriber who simply lifts the handset of the telephone. Thesubscriber instead of hearing a dial tone hears the information in theform of streaming audio.

In another embodiment of the invention, information is provided to thesubscriber by way of information displayed on a caller-ID display and/orinformation provided by way of talking caller-ID.

Turning now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, there isillustrated a flow chart diagram describing the operation of a networkinformation service in a telecommunications system in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present invention. In step 20, a subscriberlifts the handset of the telephone off its cradle and enters an off-hookcondition. In step 22, while the telephone is off-hook, a check is madeto determine whether the off-hook party has subscribed to the serviceand is included in the subscriber list in the SCP 18. If the off-hookparty is not identified in the list, then in step 24 the party receivesa dial tone and the party may proceed to complete the call as normal.Once the subscriber has been identified as being present on thesubscriber list (step 22) a check is made as to whether the subscriber'saccount is current (e.g., paid up) in step 26. If not, then in step 28 amessage is played indicating that the service is unavailable.Subsequently, the system returns to step 24 and a dial tone isoptionally provided. If, however, the subscriber is authorized toreceive the service, an optional timer is started in step 30 andstreaming audio information is provided instead of a dial tone in step32.

After a predetermined amount of time, or upon timer expiry in step 34, amessage in the dial tone requests the press of a predetermined key toenable the system to continue providing information in step 36. If therequired key is not pressed within a certain time in step 38, then thesystem returns to step 24 and provides a dial tone and normal callprocessing occurs. In a particular aspect of the present embodiment, thetimer and thus recognition of timer expiry may be eliminated so that thesubscriber may listen to the information as long as desired withoutinterruption. To place a call, or dial a command string like *69 forautomatic call back, the subscriber at any time simply presses theappropriate key and breaks the dial tone, thereby shutting the streamingaudio off. After the number or command is dialed, the call is processed.

To ensure compatibility with certain facsimile machines, modems andother telecommunications devices that operate using dial tone detection,a feature code, such as *90, is provided to disable the streaming audio.Typically, if such telecommunications devices do not detect a dial toneimmediately upon going off-hook, any dialing process is aborted. Toprevent such an occurrence, *90 is manually dialed by the subscriberusing a telephone to disable the streaming audio and enable dial toneprior to using the telecommunications device. After finishing use of themodem or facsimile machine, the subscriber reactivates the streamingaudio dial tone by dialing *91. Alternatively, the streaming audio mayautomatically default into active mode once the device goes on-hook. Incertain instances, a number of telecommunications devices are availablethat do not use, or optionally disable, dial tone detection beforedialing. In such cases, the device dials the destination telephonenumber without first listening for a dial tone. The call then proceedssimilar to any other data call.

In another aspect of the present embodiment, referring to FIG. 2, thesystem is shown wherein the press of the asterisk or “star” key, or anyother predetermined feature invoking key, interrupts the dial toneinformation stream to enable the subscriber to request provision ofdifferent information. For example, in step 40, when the subscriberpresses the star key, the provided information stream is interrupted andthe SN/IP 20 begins monitoring the line for additional DTMF tones instep 42. If no tones are entered within a predetermined time, thesubscriber will receive a message in step 44. Alternatively, if the starkey is not followed by an entry, a watchdog timer in the SN/IP 20 timesout and sends a message to the SCP 18. The SCP 18 then causes a messageto be sent from the SCP 18 to the SSP 14 instructing the SSP 14 toprovide a pertinent message to the subscriber. Alternatively, dependingon the carrier's default preference, the previous information cancontinue streaming. It is to be noted that the SN/IP 20 may provide themessages to the SSP 14 directly.

If tones are entered, the SN/IP 20 decodes any received DTMF tonesentered by the subscriber to determine in step 46 whether the numberfollowing the star is a number that corresponds to a request fordifferent information or is a reserved feature number, such as *70 (forturning off call waiting). If the SN/IP 20, in step 46 determines thatthe number following the star is a reserved feature number, the SN/IP 20informs the SCP 18, which then sends a message to the SSP 14 instructingthe SSP 14 to process the entered feature and proceed with regular callprocessing in step 50. However, if the star key is followed by aninformation service number, the SN/IP 20 accesses its database andbegins streaming the information that is newly requested by thesubscriber in step 48. The system then returns to step 30 (FIG. 1). TheSN/IP 20 continues to provide the requested information until thesubscriber hangs up the phone, makes a call or interrupts to enter afeature number or request still other information.

In another aspect of the present embodiment, the above described aspectsof the invention may be combined. In such a combination, the systemmonitors the content being provided to the subscriber to provide greatlyenhanced features. For example, the dial tone may be streaming audio ofsports scores for on-going games. Upon hearing a score of interest, thesubscriber presses a feature code, such as *99, to access theinformation service followed by the pound (#) key, thereby automaticallyselecting the live audio broadcast of the game in process. Similarly, ina more commercial example, the dial tone information may sponsored byadvertisers who stream information regarding their products. As such,for example, if the subscriber wishes to purchase the product beingadvertised, pressing *99# provides the subscriber with an expandeddescription of the advertised product with an offer to have the retailercall the subscriber or directly connect the subscriber to the retailer.Thus, it can be seen that the system monitors the informational audiobeing sent to the subscriber before *99 is pressed and provides ashortcut to reach related information.

In another example, the streaming audio dial tone is used to alert usersto waiting voice mail. Again, when the subscriber hears a messageindicating that there is waiting voice mail, the subscriber dials *99#and is directly connected to the voice mail system. The voice mailexample may also be used in applications where E-Mail may be accessedusing the telephone. In a similar application, subscribers are notifiedof missed calls through the dial tone information. For example,subscribers hear the telephone number of a missed call and the time thecall was received. Automatic call back to the missed number is theneffected by dialing *99#. A particular advantage of such a system isthat the subscriber is explicitly made aware of any missed calls alongwith caller information. In contrast, existing caller-ID devices listall calls that are placed to the subscriber's telephone, whetheranswered or not. In such a situation, if the caller-ID memory was notcleared, the subscriber must cycle through each of the names and timesto determine if and when a call was missed. Similarly, automatic callback (usually activated by pressing *69) requires the subscriber toactually engage the service to determine the telephone number of thelast caller. The subscriber must then determine whether the last callwas indeed a missed call.

In another aspect of the above embodiment, *99 enables the subscriber toaccess an audio menu to select information of interest. From the menuthe subscriber then selects, through the press of one or more additionalkeys, the type of information desired in the dial tone informationstream. Similarly, the menu may also be programmed to include a numberof pay-per-use services, such as the automatic call-back servicedescribed above. The advantage in such a system is that the audioinformation service is accessed by simply dialing three charactersrather than a seven or ten digit number and is also capable of talkingto network switching and control entities.

Referring to FIG. 3, the system is shown in an interrupt state based onthe dialing of a numeric number, such as a telephone number. Inparticular, if a non-symbol key is pressed in step 52, such as a numericdigit key for dialing a telephone number, the SSP 14 immediately takescontrol of the system and proceeds with the call in step 53 as if thecall had been dialed normally. Alternatively, if a non-symbol key ispressed, the SN/IP 20 recognizes that numeric digits are being enteredand notifies the SCP 18. A message is then sent from the SCP 18 to theSSP 14, which then instructs the SSP 14 to provide standard callprocessing.

Although both methods of interrupting the audio information dial tonementioned above provide fairly similar levels of service, callprocessing is possibly slightly faster in the first scenario. In thefirst example, the SSP 14 and the SN/IP 20 operate in a bridged modewherein both the SSP 14 and the SN/IP 20 monitor the line for DTMFentries. Thus, if a numeric entry is made, such as when the subscriberis dialing an actual telephone number, the SSP 14 directly handles suchsituations and processing of the telephone call is faster. A particularuse of the bridged mode is to enable faster call processing of emergencynumbers, such as 911. Optionally, the SN/IP 20 is also provided withvoice recognition capabilities such that the audio data stream isinterrupted based on a predetermined voice command.

Turning now to FIG. 4, the telephone network used in the presentinvention is shown. The network uses common channel signaling (CCS) forcommunication between the SSPs 12, 14 to the STP 16 and from the STP 16to the SCP 18. CCS is an out-of-band signaling method that utilizespacket switched network to allow messages to be transported on adedicated high-speed data network, separate from the voice or datacommunications path. The public switched network utilizes the CCSnetwork, using signaling systems 7 (SS7) protocol to send messagesbetween network elements regarding call set-up, line status, calleridentification, and other network data, including AIN inquiries. IPinformation is delivered on the circuit established as a result of theSS7 signaling and network processing of that signaling.

The use of SS7 on the CCS network by the public switched network hasbecome nearly universal for signaling between network elements; therebysupplanting circuit associated signaling. In typical operation, once auser establishes a connection with their central office, the centraloffice's SSP functionality packages the signaling information related tothe call (e.g., the dial telephone number) into an SS7 message, andsends the message on the CCS network to the STP 16. The STP 16 routesthe message to the appropriate SSPs, which negotiate the establishmentof a circuit between the central offices, and the connection to thedistant party is made.

As shown in FIG. 4, the system 10 includes an originating SSP 14, aterminating SSP 12, a STP 16, a SCP 18, a SN/IP 20, caller premisesequipment (CPE), such as called telephone station 13 and callingtelephone station 15. Intelligent network system components, such as AINcomponents, suitable for implementing the present invention arecommercially available from several vendors and are known to thoseskilled in the art.

Each of the SSPs 12, 14 include an AIN switch that routes calls,recognizes and responds to triggers, generates queries to obtain callinformation and response to returned call information. The functionalityof the SSPs 12, 14, as disclosed herein, is implemented using any AINcompatible switch such as a 5ESS switch, with generic 5E11 update orbetter, available from Lucent Technologies, Inc. The SSP 14 connects thecalled telephone station 13 with the SSP 12 to enable a call to beplaced between called telephone station 13 and calling telephone station15. The SSPs 12, 14 communicate with the STP 16 and the SCP 18 using theSS7 protocol as described above.

As is known in the art, the STP 16 is a packet switch used to routesignalling messages within the network. In particular, the STP 16includes a network element that transfers signalling communications inresponse to signalling protocols such as SS7 or other such signallingprotocols. The STP 16 transfers queries from the SSPs 12, 14 to the SCP18 and transfers responses to the queries from the SCP 18 to the SSPs12, 14.

The CPE 13, 15 generally includes analog telephone sets, as mentionedabove. In addition, the CPE 13, 15 may also include PCS, ISDN or anyother form of communication station known.

The SCP 18 includes an AIN element that stores call information andreceives and responds to queries. The SCP 18 is any commerciallyavailable AIN node which contains the service logic an associated datasupport to execute the required customer services. For example, the SCP18 may be a Model I or Model II, available from Lucent Technologies,Inc. The SCP 18 stores call control information in an internal databaseand accesses the stored call control information as needed. The SCP 18then forwards the call control information to the SSPs 12, 14. The SCP18 receives queries generated by the SSPs 12, 14 and responds to thequeries by performing database searches to locate the requested callcontrol information.

The SN/IP 20 is a computer or a communication server linked by an openinterface to the originating SSP 14. In the example shown, the SSP 14and the SN/IP 20 communicate by the ISDN network connection. The ISDNconnection is implemented using either ISDN-BRI (basic rate interface)or ISDN-PRI (primary rate interface) protocols that are known in theart. The SN/IP 20 contains and manages resources required to offerservices and service enhancements to network users. The SN/IP 20 isconnected to a TCP/IP interface 22, a radio frequency (RF) interface 24and a database 26. Generally, the SN/IP 20 is used to obtain informationthrough a variety of sources. Such sources include, among others,information obtained through the RF interface 24 and/or informationobtained through the TCP/IP connection 22 via the internet. Theinformation once received by the SN/IP 20 is saved in the database 26from where information is sent through to subscribers. The RF interface24 is used to receive generally the same type of information transmittedby paging services to their subscribers. A particular advantage of thepresent invention is the ability to provide dynamic information to thesubscriber. Although prior art telephone systems are known to provideprerecorded static information, the present invention enables the systemto receive current information, such as sports scores and stock marketinformation, update its databases and provide the information in adynamic manner to the subscriber. Accordingly, the subscriber receivesthe latest information and is kept abreast of any changes in theinformation. The SN/IP 20 optionally includes text-to-speechcapabilities for converting text-based information received through theinternet into an audio format suitable for streaming as audio throughthe telephone connection.

In an AIN-type system, such as shown in FIG. 4, certain calls receivespecialized AIN-type processing under control of data files stored inthe SCP 18. In such a network, the SSP 14-type local offices of thepublic telephone network detect a call-processing event known as an AINtrigger. For ordinary telephone service calls, there would be no eventto trigger AIN processing and the local and toll office switches wouldfunction normally and process such calls as discussed above, withoutreferring to the SCP 18 for instructions. However, a SSP in a centraloffice which detects a trigger suspends all call processing, compiles aformatted call data message and forwards that message via the CCSnetwork and the STP 16 to the SCP 18. If needed, the SCP 18 instructsthe central office to obtain and forward additional information. Oncethe SCP 18 receives sufficient information about the call, the SCP 18accesses its stored data tables to translate the received message datainto a call control message and returns the call control message to theoffice of the network via the CCS network and the STP 16. The SSP 14then uses the call control message to complete the particular call tothe network. A particular advantage of the present invention is theability of the SN/IP 20 to provide communication services on thesubscriber's telephone line and to transfer control quickly to an SSP 74that controls routing of calls for the line if the subscriber wishes tomake a telephone call.

The SSP-type switches 12, 14 recognizes a variety of events as triggersfor activating a query and a response-type AIN interaction with the SCP18. In particular, the originating SSP 14 uses an off-hook immediatetrigger to signal the SN/IP 20. In addition, the SSP 12 providesannouncements to subscribers depending on particular problems orscenarios that are encountered. A particular embodiment of the inventionuses an off-hook immediate trigger to initiate AIN-type call processing.Specifically, when a person picks up the handset of a telephoneconnected to one of the lines of the group, the SSP 14 connected to thatline accesses its translation tables and recognizes that the line issubject to AIN processing. Upon determining that a subscriber issubscribed to the information service, the SSP 14 provides informationin a constant audio stream instead of the dial tone. The subscriptionlist is updated to include or delete a subscriber's entry as required.

FIG. 5 shows an event diagram depicting the indication of messagedelivery service in the AIN system of FIG. 4. Initially, in step 100,the subscriber lifts the handset and goes off hook. An off-hookimmediate trigger is received by the originating SSP 14 in step 102,which then sends a query to the SCP 18 in step 104. As mentioned above,such communication uses conventional SS7 protocol. In response to thequery, the SCP 18 in step 106 screens the call to determine whether theparty is a subscriber to the information service. If it is determined instep 108 that the subscriber is authorized to receive the selectedservice, the SCP 18 sends an analyzed route message to the SSP 14 instep 112, wherein the analyzed routed message includes a called numberparameter which is then sent to the number of the SN/IP 20. If thesubscriber is not authorized, then in step 110, the SCP 18 sends amessage to the SSP 14 to provide dial tone to the subscriber. In step114, upon receiving the analyzed-route message, the SSP 14 connects thesubscriber to the SN/IP 20. The SN/IP 20 then, in step 116 provides theinformation to the subscriber in the form of streaming audio informationthat is provided to the subscriber instead of dial tone. The subscriberis able to initiate and complete a telephone call at any time by simplydialing the appropriate number of the party that the subscriber wishesto contact, as further described below.

FIG. 6 shows a flow chart diagram of a method of operating theoriginating SSP 14 shown in FIG. 4. In step 54, the SSP 14 detects anoff-hook condition generated by the caller CPE 15, such as a telephone.The SSP 14 does not provide a dial tone at that time. Instead, the SSP14 in step 56 launches a query to the SCP 18. The query contains asubstantial amount of information, including data identifying theoff-hook line. The SCP 18 uses the line identification data tocross-reference the subscriber's data file within the SCP 18 database.Based on the obtained results, the SCP 18 determines what action to takenext and then provides a response to the SSP 14 in step 58. If the SSP14 responds with a continue message, the information service is notinvoked and the SSP 14 provides the subscriber with dial tone in step60. Call processing then proceeds as normal. However, if the SCP 18transmits a “Send to Resource” message to the SSP 14 in step 62, theinformation service is offered to the subscriber. In particular, the SSP14 upon receiving the message, attempts to connect the caller to theSN/IP 20 in step 64, as described further below.

FIG. 7 shows a flow chart illustrating a method of operating theoriginating SCP 18 shown in FIG. 4. The primary function of the SCP 18is to control the service and to screen calls by comparing caller/calledparty information to predetermined criteria. To provide the informationdelivery service, the SCP 18 communicates with the SSP 14 and providescontrol information to enable the subscribed information to be providedto the subscriber as information audio instead of dial tone. Inparticular, the operation of the SCP 18 commences upon the SSP 14receiving an off-hook immediate trigger. In step 66, the SSP 14 queriesthe SCP 18 to determine whether the subscriber is present on thesubscriber list in the SCP 18 in step 68. As described above, thesubscriber list is a database file containing information foridentifying parties that have subscribed to the messaging service todeliver caller information to them. After accessing the subscriber list,the SCP 18 determines in step 70 whether the subscriber is authorized toreceive the information delivery service. If so, then in step 72, theSCP 18 sends a message to the SSP 14 instructing it to make a connectionto the SN/IP 20. Accordingly, the SN/IP 20 starts or continues toprovide the subscribed information to the subscriber. If the subscriberis not authorized, then in step 74, the SCP instructs the SSP to providedial tone for standard call processing.

FIG. 8 depicts a flow chart illustrating a method of operating the SN/IPto provide the information delivery service as a dial tone stream. Underthe delivery service, the SN/IP 20 commences the operation when the SSP14 connects the subscriber thereto in step 76. The SN/IP 20 accesses itsdatabase in step 78 and gathers the information to which the subscriberis subscribed. In step 80, the SN/IP 20 starts an internal watchdogtimer and begins to provide the information to the subscriber in theform of streaming audio information instead of dial tone. Theinformation is provided for a predetermined amount of time until thetimer expires, as determined in step 82. Upon expiration of the timer,the SN/IP 20 sends a message to the SCP 18 in step 84. The SCP 18 thensends a message to the SSP 14 instructing the SSP 14 to provide amessage to the subscriber indicating that a particular continue key,such as the “pound” key, must be pressed if the information stream is tocontinue. In step 86, the SN/IP 20 monitors the line for dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) tones corresponding to the continue key. If thecontinue key is not pressed within a predetermined amount of time instep 88, the SN/IP 20 sends a message to the SCP 18 in step 90, which inturn sends a message to the SSP 14. As a result, the SSP 14 either playsa message indicating that the provided information stream has beenterminated or provides a dial tone to enable regular call processing.However, if the continue key is pressed in a timely manner, thestreaming dial tone information continues to be provided in step 92.

It is to be noted that although an AIN based solution is discussed inthe above exemplary embodiments, the present invention may also beimplemented using a streaming dial tone generator. For example, knownsystems provide dial tone by having the line card connect to a dial tonegenerator that plays dial tone over the line. As discussed above, whenthe line card detects a user keypress, it disconnects the dial tonegenerator and connects to a device that collects touchtone digits. In analternate embodiment of the present system, the dial tone generatorcould be replaced by a streaming audio dial tone generator at each COthat would provide streaming audio instead of the normal dial tone.

In another embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIG. 9, the systemis shown in operation using a caller identification (CID) unit. Inparticular, the subscriber is able to receive information by way of thedisplay on a CID unit 17. For example, information such as stock quotes,sports scores and the like is displayed on the CID unit 17 where callerinformation, such as name and phone number, normally can be seen.Optionally, the CID unit 17 may be a speech synthesizer unit to audiblyoutput the received subscriber information.

Typically, caller-ID systems operate by providing caller information tothe call receiving party on a display. CID information is typicallyprovided as a 1200 baud, 7 data bits and 1 stop bit data stream that istransmitted to the receiving party after the first ring, but before thesecond ring. Basic CID generally supplies only the calling number anddate whereas enhanced CID further provides directory information such asthe name of the caller. Typically, CID information is displayed as threelines of fifteen characters.

In the present embodiment, because the subscriber never takes the phoneoff-hook, no trigger is sent or processed by the SSP 14. However,depending on the type of service provided, information is provided tothe subscriber, for example, at predetermined intervals (e.g., everyhour), as an alarm (e.g., information at 7:00 o'clock in the morning) oreach time a change in the subscribers information is detected (e.g. theChicago Cubs score a run). The information is provided on thesubscriber's CID unit 17 display. In addition, because the telephonerings as well, the subscriber is alerted that information is availablefor viewing on the CID unit 17.

In operation, the SN/IP 20 monitors the data received from the TCP/IPconnection 22 and the RF connection 24 and stores any newly receivedinformation in its database 26. Upon determining that new information isreceived that is intended to be sent to the subscriber, the SN/IP sendsthe SCP 18 a message indicating that the SN/IP 20 has informationrequired by the subscriber. In response, the SCP 18 sends a messageinstructing the SSP 14 to initiate a call to the subscriber. The SCP 18may be configured such that the message to the SSP 14 is sent only inaccordance with the preferences expressed by the caller.

The SSP 14, upon receiving instructions from the SCP 18, then connectsthe SN/IP 20 to the subscriber line. Instead of sending the SN/IP 20extension number to the subscriber for display on the CID unit 17, theSN/IP 20 instead provides the information requested by the subscriber.The subscriber telephone then rings as if a call were being receivedsuch that the requested information is passed to the CID unit 17in-between the rings as described above. It is to be noted that beforesending the information, the SN/IP 20 formats the raw data such that theinformation is a valid CID data stream and that the information intendedfor the subscriber is able to be displayed legibly on the CID unit 17.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present inventionare possible in light of the above teaching. Thus, it is to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise then is specifically above.

1. In a system having an originating service switching point (SSP), asignalling transfer point (STP) and a switching control point (SCP), amethod for providing information over the telephone network comprising:configuring a customer premises equipment (CPE) to receive a dial tonewhen said CPE is off-hook; receiving an off-hook trigger when said CPEis off-hook; receiving information from an information source forstorage in a service node; connecting the SSP to the service node; andtransmitting as audio said information instead of dial tone from saidservice node to said CPE when said CPE is off-hook.
 2. The method ofclaim 1 further including the step of monitoring for the presence ofdual tone multi frequency (DTMF) tones entered by said subscriber. 3.The method of claim 2 further including the step of monitoring for apredetermined non-numeric DTMF tone to enable said subscriber to selectalternate information.
 4. The method of claim 2 further including thestep of monitoring for a numeric DTMF tone to enable said subscriber todial a telephone number.
 5. The method of claim 2, wherein saidmonitoring step is performed by said service node.
 6. The method ofclaim 2, wherein said monitoring step is performed by the SSP.
 7. Themethod of claim 2, wherein said monitoring step is 5 performed by bothsaid service node and said SSP simultaneously in a bridged mode ofoperation.
 8. The system of claim 1, further including the step ofmonitoring for voice instructions.
 9. The system of claim 8 wherein saidaudio is interrupted when one or more predetermined voice instructionsare received.
 10. The system of claim 2 further including the step ofmonitoring for one or more predetermined DTMF tones to terminate saidaudio and provide dial tone.
 11. The system of claim 2 further includingthe step of providing a menu of options when one or more predeterminedDTMF tones are entered.
 12. The system of claim 1 further including thestep of monitoring the content of said audio information.
 13. The systemof claim 12 further including the step of enabling said subscriber toaccess content related information when one or more predetermined DTMFtones are entered.
 14. In a system having an originating serviceswitching point (SSP) and a dial tone generator, a method for providinginformation over the telephone network comprising: configuring acustomer premises equipment (CPE) to receive a dial tone when said CPEis off-hook; configuring said dial tone generator to provide audioinformation instead of dial tone; and transmitting said audioinformation to said CPE when said CPE is off-hook.
 15. In a systemhaving an originating service switching point (SSP), a signallingtransfer point (STP) and a switching control point (SCP), a method forproviding information over the telephone network comprising: receivinginformation for storage in a service node; determining whether asubscriber is authorized to receive said information; configuring acustomer premises equipment (CPE) to receive and output informationprovided in a caller identification (CID) message; connecting said SSPto said service node upon determining that said subscriber isauthorized; and providing non-CID data in said CID message from saidSNIP to said CPE for output by said CPE, said non-CID data includingsaid current information.
 16. The method of claim 15, further includingthe step of transmitting said information at predetermined intervals.17. The method of claim 15, further including the step of transmittingsaid current information at predetermined times.
 18. A system having anoriginating service switching point (SSP), a signalling transfer point(STP) and a switching control point (SCP), the system for providinginformation over the telephone network comprising: a customer premiseequipment (CPE) selectably in communication with said SSP, said CPEconfigured to receive a dial tone when said CPE is off-hook; a servicenode in communication with said SSP, said service node adapted toreceive and store information; and a processor adapted to enable saidSNIP to provide said information as audio instead of said dial tone tosaid CPE when said CPE is off-hook.
 19. The system of claim 18, whereinsaid service node is an 10 intelligent peripheral.
 20. The system ofclaim 18, further including a radio frequency receiver adapted toreceive data, said radio receiver in communication with said servicenode. 21-28. (canceled)